A police plane spent an hour flying loops around Merseyside as part of a missing person search.
According to live flight tracker FlightRadar24, the Vulkanair P.68R started its journey at Doncaster Airport before spending around an hour circling large areas of Sefton with a particular focus around Litherland, Waterloo and Aintree. The plane was in the air above Merseyside on the evening of Wednesday, March 30.
The flight tracker suggested the plane is registered to the Police & Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire. But a spokesperson for West Yorkshire confirmed to the ECHO the planes based in Doncaster are operated by the National Police Air Service who deploy them to a number of different services around the country.
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A spokesperson for the National Police Air Service told the ECHO : "Although based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the police aeroplanes are a national resource, operated by the National Police Air Service, and so are deployed across England and Wales as necessary to maximise air support cover for forces on the ground. From 1946hrs to 2039hrs last night (30 March) they were deployed to assist Merseyside Police with a missing person search."
Today Merseyside Police confirmed the plane was requested to help in the search for missing Bootle man Ian Cassidy who went missing from his home on Bridle Road at 3pm yesterday. The 63-year-old was known to frequent areas around Crosby beach, the Loop Line and Warbreck Moor. The flight tracker showed the plane searched along the coast with a focus around Crosby beach.
Merseyside Police said Mr Cassidy was found yesterday evening. A spokesperson added he wasn't found by the plane but by a member of the public who had seen the missing person appeal.
